Pages

Friday, February 04, 2005

Two New National Health Service Dentists

I suppose the need for NO Cost dental services are so great in the UK that they celebrate this event:

Two new nhs dentists!

We exclusively reveal plans for new dental surgery in Barnoldswick .BARNOLDSWICK could have access to NHS dental provision again by early summer.

The Barnoldswick and Earby Times can exclusively report that plans for a new NHS surgery in the town, "with at least two dentists in place", are gathering momentum.
Health chiefs at Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust were deeply disappointed when the Diamond Smiles practice went private at the beginning of the year. They pledged at the time that they would do all in their power to restore NHS dental services for the thousands of patients involved.
Now, if the primary care trust gets it way, the town might end up with an actual increase in the number of people having access to NHS dental services.
Mr Peter Sellars, Head of Primary Care Development for the PCT, said: "It's early days, and no-one wants to promise anything until everything is signed and sealed, but we are confident that we will be able to fulfil our pledge to the people of the area to make good the loss of NHS provision.
"Talks are well under way to set up an NHS dental service, with at least two dentists in place. Premises have been identified and the process to secure them is under way."
He went on to say that everyone knew of the major difficulties facing NHS dentistry as some dentists switch from the NHS to private practices.
"Despite this, we are making progress in the Pendle area and have more than a third of our dentists in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale already signed up to the new NHS dentistry contract," he said.
"We are also in the process of offering all our remaining NHS dentists such contracts, which would secure their services for the public.
"If a practice decides to withdraw from the NHS and then de-register its NHS patients, we are unable to stop them. We are left with the task of attracting new NHS dentists and finding alternative premises for them to practice in.
"But we are delighted to say that in Barnoldswick, matters are progressing well. We have worked non-stop to help the people of Barnoldswick get a proper NHS service, and we are satisfied with progress so far."
In the meantime, anyone requiring urgent dental care can obtain treatment in the Barnoldswick PDS facility by ringing 0845 46 47.
Pendle MP Gordon Prentice said the news would be a huge relief to the town and welcomed the fact that the plan involved two dentists.
"This is an item very close to my heart and the PCT has responded promptly," he said.
"With the increased dental provision planned, local people who never felt comfortable about private care will be able to transfer back across to the NHS."